Southern Weddings

In the era of Pinterest, Instagram, and wedding blogs, it can be hard to remember that in many cases, simple is best. I love the way Rebecca and Drew chose to focus on a few incredibly meaningful and beautiful details at their wedding–Rebecca’s heirloom Belgian lace veil and their stain glass-covered chapel, to name a few–and kept everything else simple and lovely with layered neutrals and rustic textures. It made those really special details stand out all the more, and never distracted from the real reason everyone was gathered to celebrate that day!

Thank you so much to Cassidy Carson for sharing Rebecca and Drew’s wedding with us!

Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! My veil was both borrowed and old–it was Drew’s aunt’s veil that she got in Belgium while traveling, and she wore it for her wedding. It ended up being one of my most cherished parts of my wedding look. For another something old, I pinned a delicate emerald and diamond pin that belonged to my grandmother to the ribbon that wrapped my bouquet, and I carried my great aunt’s handkerchief in the pocket of my dress. My dress and shoes were my new and my undergarments were blue!

For our florals, I wanted a natural and airy look with tons of greenery and an unexpected combination of flower varieties. I wanted to stay true to the season and loved including hellebores, creamy majolica roses, and white tulips in our arrangements. I had a great time learning about flowers during the planning process. Katie McDaniel of Cloth of Gold, Mary Ann Gilchrist, Cindy Rogers, my mother, and I all collaborated to get the end result. I had a ball making my sweet bridesmaids’ bouquets the Thursday before the wedding. It was such a joyful little moment to see them carry them on our wedding day.

How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? After asking my youth minister to marry us, we met with him to start premarital counseling and to prepare our hearts for marriage. We both read one of Gary Chapman’s books, “Things I Wish I Knew Before I Got Married.” I would highly encourage couples to read books on marriage together! It can bring up points of discussion that you had never considered. I am now reading “You and Me Forever” by Frances Chan. One of the best things I took away from our counseling was the power of prayer in marriage. My sister gave me some great advice: to pray for Drew each time I look at my engagement ring/wedding band, which is about one hundred times a day! To constantly be praying for your partner is such an amazing thing.

We decided, after much agonizing, to do a first look before our ceremony. I am traditional and sentimental, so I loved the idea of waiting until I walked down the aisle, but it really came down to the photos we wanted to help us remember our day. We knew the light would be better and the photos would be more relaxed if we did them ahead of time. I wanted the entire afternoon and evening to flow smoothly, and I didn’t want our wedding party to be itching to head to the reception instead of standing to take photos! Now, Drew and I both consider our first look one of our most treasured moments of the day. I will never forget his facial expression when he turned around to see me for the first time. It was such an intimate and beautiful experience. We are so thankful to have had that time together and to have it documented so well.

I loved pouring energy and thought into the wedding ceremony. One of our favorite details was having my youth minister and Drew’s pastor perform the ceremony together. They each shared personal details that they knew about us growing up and how that translated into our love story now. I think guests really left feeling that they knew us, our love for one another, and our love for Christ even more so than when they arrived. We loved how personal and Christ-focused our ceremony was. I will always treasure hearing Drew’s pastor describing Drew and his passion for life, and how that would carry into our marriage.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? For our reception, we found a lovely barn with plenty of space. We loved using long farm tables and enjoying lots of candlelight, yummy food, and celebration. In true Southern fashion, we blended the “country” setting of the barn with decor that was a bit more elegant. Another of my favorite Southern details was serving chocolate gravy and biscuits at our reception. This is one of my family’s favorite recipes that I grew up eating! We ended up deciding on a whole biscuit bar to accompany the chocolate gravy, and included local Alabama honey and preserves that our guests loved!

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? I cherish the few quiet moments before Drew and I went into our reception. We stole just a bit of time to really soak up the goodness of being married (and to eat!). As we headed in to greet our guests, I could not help but feel humbled and overwhelmed as I realized how many loved ones had made a point to join in celebrating this special day with us. Those precious moments affirmed all of the time and energy we had put into planning our wedding weekend.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Drew and I met through my sister when I was home for summer after my junior year of college at Ole Miss. They had been friends for years! Drew did not miss a beat pursuing me after we met that night–he called a few days after we met, just to ask how my day was going. For our first date, he asked me over to his parents’ house for dinner for his birthday celebration. From that point on, I knew he was different than any guy I’d ever met!
Tell us all about the proposal! Just short of our two-year anniversary, Drew proposed while we were on vacation with my family! We had slipped away for an evening to get dinner during one of the first nights of the trip. Afterwards, we asked a stranger to take our photo. Drew asked her to take one more, and in the midst of her following his instruction, he dropped to one knee. Floating on cloud nine and surrounded by tons of strangers, I’ve never felt a more intimate moment.
When did y’all get married? March 28, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 200
What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? Drew and I both grew up in Birmingham, and immediately after getting engaged, we knew that it was where we wanted everyone to gather for our wedding weekend. To keep our ceremony very personal and Christ-centered, we chose the church from our childhoods. We wanted minimal décor in the sanctuary, and loved letting the old stained glass windows and hymns stand out as the highlights of the worship service.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We did write our own vows together! Without a doubt, my favorite line was, “You are my greatest earthly gift from our Heavenly Father, and I will spend my days here on this earth being the best possible steward of this precious gift, and helping you to draw closer to Him.”
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We had several scriptures woven throughout our ceremony. Some of my favorites were from Isaiah 10, Romans 12, and John 15:16-17. Our pastor did an amazing job of helping us choose several unexpected verses that we really connected to and that helped paint a picture of a Christ-centered marriage.
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? We are looking forward to some much needed down time after the hustle and bustle of our engagement! We absolutely loved every moment, but isn’t it nice to just do nothing on occasion? Knowing us, we won’t be able to stay too relaxed for long. We are already in the beginning stages of renovating our first home together, and are currently dreaming up travel plans for the coming year.

Photographer: Cassidy Carson / Ceremony Venue: Shades Crest Baptist Church / Reception Venue: The Barn at Shady Lane / Florist: Cloth of Gold, Mary Ann Gilchrist, and Cindy Rogers / Cake Baker: Pastry Art / Caterer: Happy Catering / Rentals: Aabco Rentals / Band: The Jeff Otwell Band / Ribbon: Frou Frou Chic / Paper Products: Annabelle’s / Bride’s Gown: “Julia” by Stephanie Allin / Bride’s Earrings: Erin Cole / Hair and Makeup: Joanna Ballentine / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Lela Rose / Menswear: Mr. Burch Tuxedo / Bow Ties: Remon’s Fine Clothiers / Calligraphy: Jan Pruitt Calligraphy

Written with love by Lisa